In most of the country the groundhog determines when spring will arrive, out here on the water we have our own signs of early spring. For one, when we start catching the big gator trout it’s a sure sign great weather, fishing and fun are just around the corner. For those who aren’t aware when a speckled sea trout gets over the 20” mark we consider them a gator trout, a term that has been around for as long as I’ve been alive and maybe longer. These big behemoths are fun to fight, and on the plus side the state of Florida allows us to keep one gator trout a piece because of the effect they can have on the young trout as they tend to prey on the babies. Aside from our increasing trout bite we are starting to see redfish that are just getting into slot size and the best sign of spring, the big snook are showing up. Spring will also bring us better bait to net and in turn great bites from all these big predator fish. The nearshore bite has been incredible lately as well with tons of tasty snapper, sheepshead and grunts. Spring is upon us and it’s going to be a blast.